MTS 336 Instrumentation and
Measurements
Dr. Basharat Ullah
Week 08
Department of Mechatronics
College of Electrical and Mechanical
Engineering
Thermal Sensors
❑ One of the primary methods for electrical measurement of temperature
involves changes in the electrical resistance of certain materials.
❑ Place the temperature-sensing device in contact with the environment whose
temperature is to be measured.
❑ The sensing device then takes on the temperature of the environment.
❑ Thus, a measure of its resistance indicates the temperature of the device and
the environment.
❑ The two basic devices used are; the resistance-temperature detector (RTD),
based on the variation of metal resistance with temperature.
❑ Thermistor, based on the variation of semiconductor resistance with
temperature.
Resistance-temperature detector (RTD)
❑ Metals used in these devices are; platinum, nickel, which are quite sensitive
❑ The sensitivity of platinum is typically on the order of 0.004/℃, and for nickel
a typical value is 0.005/℃.
Resistance-temperature detector (RTD)
❑ Linear Approximation: It means that we may develop an equation for a straight
line that approximates the resistance versus temperature.
❑ Linear Approximation: A quadratic approximation to the R-T curve is a more
accurate representation of the curve R-T over some span of temperatures.
❑ 𝛼2 = quadratic fractional change in resistance with temperature
Resistance-temperature detector (RTD)
❑ Compensation line resistance
❑ Self-heating: there is an 𝐼 2 𝑅 power
dissipated by the device itself that
causes a slight heating effect.
❑ To avoid self-heating, the current
through the RTD must be kept
sufficiently low and constant.
❑ Typically, a dissipation constant is
provided in RTD specifications.
❑ Temperature rise because of self-
heating: ∆𝑇 = 𝑃Τ𝑃𝐷 .
❑ P = power dissipated in the RTD from the circuit in W, 𝑃𝐷 = dissipation constant of
the RTD in 𝑊/℃.
Resistance-temperature detector (RTD)
Example:
Solution:
As we know that ∆𝑇 = 𝑃Τ𝑃𝐷
Self Heating Thus, the RTD is not actually at the bath temperature of 0℃, but
at a temperature of 1.8℃.
Thermistor
❑ Thermistor measures temperature through
changes of material resistance i.e. behavior of
semiconductor resistance versus temperature.
❑ The change in semiconductor resistance is
highly nonlinear and has a negative slope
against rising temperature
❑ Sensitivity: Changes in resistance of 10% per
℃
❑ Dissipation constants: The power in milliwatts
required to raise a thermistor’s temperature
1℃ above its environment.
Thermistor
Example
Solution
Power dissipation due to self heating is given by, 𝑃 = 𝐼2 𝑅 = 𝑉 2ൗ
𝑅
At 20℃ the thermistor resistance will be 3.5KΩ, so
So, the temperature rise can be calculated as
Thermistor
But this means the thermistor resistance is really given by,
𝑅 𝑇 = 𝑅 𝑇0 [1 − 𝛼0 ∆𝑇]
So, the divider voltage is actually 4.6V
The actual temperature of the environment is , but the measurement indicates
that this is not so. Clearly, the system is unsatisfactory.
Questions?
Lecture 16
Thermocouples
❑ A temperature-measuring device consisting of two wires of different metals
joined at each end.
❑ One junction is placed where the temperature is to be measured, and the other
is kept at a constant lower temperature.
❑ The temperature difference causes the development of an emf known as
Seebeck effect.
Thermocouples
Example
Solution
Thermocouples
❑ Peltier effect: The Peltier effect is the reverse phenomenon of the Seebeck effect.
❑ Because of the different electrothermal transport properties of the metals, it is
found that one of the junctions will be heated and the other cooled; that is, the
device is a refrigerator! This process is referred to as the Peltier effect.
Questions?
